Fresh off the best race of her career, the Bob Hess, Jr.-trained Cairo Memories rates top billing as she bids for her second consecutive stakes win in Sunday's Grade 3, $100,000 Honeymoon Stakes at Santa Anita. For 3-year-old fillies at a mile and one eighth on turf, the Honeymoon has attracted a field of seven, including recent Grade 3 winner Island of Love.
Distanced in the G3 Santa Ysabel on dirt March 6, Cairo Memories was completely dominant at a mile and one eighth on turf April 9, taking the G3 Providencia Stakes when ridden by Mike Smith, who will be back aboard on Sunday.
A one mile turf maiden winner in her first start Sept. 5 at Del Mar, Cairo Memories then took the ungraded Surfer Girl at the same trip here at Santa Anita on Oct. 3. Owned by David Bernsen and Schroeder Farms, LLC, Cairo Memories earned a career-best 90 Beyer Speed Figure in the Providencia and will hope to replicate that performance in the Honeymoon.
With all three of her wins coming on turf, Cairo Memories, a Kentucky-bred filly by Cairo Prince out of the Indian Charlie mare Incarnate Memories, has earnings of $292,500 from six starts.
Trained by Phil D'Amato, Irish-bred Island of Love, the beaten favorite in a pair of ungraded one mile turf stakes on March 6 and Jan. 30, put it all together in a most impressive 2 ¼ length score going one mile on turf in the G3 Senorita Stakes on May 7.
With leading man Juan Hernandez riding her back, Island of Love, who won as though she may relish an extra furlong, appears to be very much on the improve for D'Amato, the meet's leading trainer by both total wins and stakes victories. Owned by R Unicorn Stable, Island of Love was unbeaten in two Italian starts at age two and thus has three wins from five overall starts with earnings of $109,755.
Second, beaten 2 ¼ lengths by Island of Love in the Senorita, Irish-bred Sterling Crest was second, beaten 4 ½ lengths by Cairo Memories two starts back in the Providencia, races in which she pressed the early pace. Trained by Richard Baltas to an 8-1-4-2 mark, Sterling Crest will make her first start for George Papaprodromou and be ridden for the first time by Ramon Vazquez.
A two-time stakes winner at Golden Gate Fields, the Steve Specht-trained Ellamira rallied for a solid one length win going a mile on grass in the restricted Campanile Stakes on May 1 and will hope for a lively pace Sunday with Frank Alvarado riding her back.
A California-bred filly by Street Boss out of the Ghostzapper mare Tuedays With P, Ellamira is owned by her breeder, Cole Ranch Partners, LP and will be making her third start on the Santa Anita turf, having run a pair of credible fourths in both the G3 Sweet Life Stakes at 6 ½ furlongs down the hillside Feb. 12 and in the Cal Cup Oaks at one mile on turf four starts back on Jan. 15. With three wins and a second from eight starts, she has earnings of $136,806.
THE GRADE 3 HONEYMOON WITH JOCKEYS & WEIGHTS IN POST POSITION ORDER
Race 7 of 9 Approximate post time 4 p.m. PT
- Island of Love—Juan Hernandez—124
- Ballet Dancing—Drayden Van Dyke—120
- Gold Dragon Queen—Kyle Frey—120
- Fuente Ovejuna—Edwin Maldonado—120
- Cairo Memories—Mike Smith—124
- Sterling Crest—Ramon Vazquez—120
- Ellamira—Frank Alvarado–124
First post time for a nine-race card on Sunday is at 1 p.m.
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